Center-board for boats



W. R. BAKER. GENTER BOARD FOR BOATS.

(No Model.)

Pat'ented Nov. 1.3, 1894.

INVENTOR Fvlyt WlTNESSESz I m. A ATTO R N EV.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. BAKER, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

CENTER-BOARD FOR BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,916, dated November13, 1894:.

Application filed March 7, 1894. Serial N0- 502,6Z7. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. BAKER, of Watertown, in the county .ofJefferson, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Center-Boards for Boats, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings,

is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of foldingcenter-boards for boats which consists of a series of verticallyswinging leaves or blades arranged to fold side by side within a well orcasing, and the objects are to give the leaves or blades increasedstiffness, to simplify the construction and to increase the durabilityand ease of operation of the apparatus.

To this end my invention consists in the combination with the well orcasing provided with a shaft extending transversely therethrough nearone end, and the center-board leaves mounted on said shaft, of a platefixed to and turning with the shaft, a pin carried by said plate, astationary pin in the casing, a pair of recesses in the edge of each ofthe leaves, and suitable means to rotate the said shaft and plate; andmy invention consists in certain other combinations of parts hereinafterdescribed and specificallyset forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings hereto annexed and forming a partof thisapplication, Figure l is a side elevation of the well or casing of thecenter-board. Fig. 2 shows the center board leaves open or in theiroperative position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the frontend of the casing to show the position of the recesses when the leavesare in their normal position, and Fig. 4 is asimilar view'when theleaves are in their open or operative position, and Fig. 5 is a bottomplan view of the casing and center-board in its folded position.

Referring specifically to the drawings, A represents the keel of theboat, and B represents the well or casing open at the bottom andcommunicating with an oblong opening through the keel. This casing ismade of metal or wood and secured to the boat in position by anysuitable and well-known means. The center-board consists of a pluralityof leaves or-blades C, O, of metal of equal width the drawings.

and length except that the outer blades or leaves, 0, aresoinewhatlonger than the others so that their free ends may be joinedand secured together beyond the endsof the centralblades. By this meansI obtainincreased stidness of the board, for when it is open or loweredthe outer blades lie in a central position thus binding the centralblades together rigidly as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of Theblades O O, arepivoted or mounted upon a shaft, D, extending through the casing,transversely, near its front end.

Within the sides of the casing or between the leaves and each side ofthe casing is a metallic disk, a, keyed or otherwise fixed to turn withthe shaft D. The disks have a diameter somewhat greater than the widthof the blades, and the latter have their ends made circular in form.Each blade is provided on its rounded end with a pair of recesses c, 0-,equal distances apart but of different lengths depending upon theirrespective positions or inclinations when the board is open or unfolded.The bottom of each of said notches is arc-shaped as is also the bottomof each of the notches, a, in the plates or disks, (1, a. The said diskshave each but one notch and these notches are opposite each other as arealso the notches in the outer blades C, as they move together,uniformly.

Extending between the disks and lying in one set of recesses, o, in theblades is a pin 12. This pin when in the position shown in Fig. 3 looksthe blades in their normal or closed position, and, when moved to theposition shown in Fig. 4, holds the blades in their open position. Thisis effected by the pin b bearing upon the blades first at one end of therecess and then at the other, the said recesses being of differentlengths as before mentioned.

d is astationary pin extending transversely through the casing and lyingin the second set of recesses, c, in the blades, 0, O, and also in therecesses, a, in the disks, or, a. This stationary pin serves as a stopto limit the movement of the blades when in their open position so thatnone of them can drop lower than is desired or so that spaces will notbe made between the blades when open.

In order to strengthen the device and render it more durable, I mayprovide a second set of notches, c, in the blades 0 and 0, corresponding to, or the same as those hereinbefore described, and anotherpin, 12, carried by the disks, in which case said pin would be locatedas indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The outside blades are shown joined at their free ends by a piece ofmetal, 6, placed between their ends with rivets extending therethrongh,but they may be joined together by forming the two blades of one piecebent upon itself.

The shaft, D, is provided with a crank, E, on the outside of the casingand this crank is connected by a rod,F, with a bell-crank lever, G,pivoted to the opposite end. of the casing. The short arm of the leveris connected to the rod F and the long arm is provided with a handle bywhich the lever is operated.

H is a stop secured to the casing to limit the movement of the lever, G,in one direction. The two extreme positions of the lever are shownclearly in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawlugs.

It will be noticed that when the lever is in contact with the stop H theboard is locked in its closed position as the joint between the leverand rod has passed above a line between the axis of the lever and theaxis of the rod, F, at the end of the crank E.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the well or casing provided with a shaftextending transversely therethrough near one end, and the centerboardleaves mounted on said shaft, of a plate fixed to and turning with theshaft, a pin carried by said plate, a stationary pin in the easing, apair of recesses in the edge of each of the leaves, and suitable meansto rotate the said shaft and plate, as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with the well or casing provided with a shaftextending transversely therethrough near one end, and the centerboardleaves mounted on said shaft, of a plate on each side of the leaves andfixed to and turning with the shaft, a pin extending through and betweenthe plates, a stationary pin extending through the casing, a recess ineach plate, a pair of recesses in the edge of each of the leaves, andsuitable means to rotate the shaft and plates, as and for the purposedoscrihed.

3. The combinationwith the well or casing provided with a shaftextending transversely therethrough near one end, and the centerboardleaves mounted on said shaft, of a plate fixed to and turning with theshaft, a pin carried by said plate, a stationary pin in the easing, apair of recesses in the edge of each of the leaves equal distances apartbut of different lengths and suitable means to rotate the said shaft andplate, as set forth.

4. The combination with the well or casing provided with a shaftextending therethrough near one end, and the center-board leaves mountedon said shaft, of a disk on each s de of the leaves and fixed to andturning with the shaft, a pin extending through and between the disks, astationary pin extending through the casing, a recess in each plate, apair of recesses of different lengthsm the edge of each of the leavesfor the said pins to move in, the outside leaves joined together aroundthe free ends of the central leaves and adapted when the board is opento he in a central position, and means to operate the board,substantially as described and shown.

5. The combination with the well or casing provided with a shaftextending transversely therethrough near one end, and the centerboardleaves mounted on said shaft, of a disk on each side of the leaves andfixed to and turning with the shaft, a pin on diametrically oppositesides of the disks extending through and between them, a stationary pinextending through the casing, a recess in each disk for the stationarypin and a set of recesses of different lengths in the said leaves foreach of the said pins as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM R. BAKER. [1 5.]

Witnesses:

A. D. CHATTAWAY, F. W. I'IASKIN.

